Even Small Pot Belly Linked To Increased Heart Disease Risk, New Study

A new US study suggests that waist to hip ratio (WHR) is more closely linked to early signs of heart disease than body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference alone. Even a small pot belly is linked to a higher risk of developing plaque in the arteries compared to having a flat tummy, said the researchers.

The study is published in the August 21st issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC)and was conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, US.

Adding inches to the waist significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, said the researchers, even if BMI is in the normal range.

Lead author of the study and Professor of medicine and director of the Coronary Care Unit at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dr James A. de Lemos said:

"In our thirties and forties, we often gain three to four inches in the midsection."

"It's a day-to-day, meal-to-meal battle, but it's worth fighting. Even a small pot belly puts us at higher risk when compared to a flat tummy," he added.

De Lemos and colleagues used records from the Dallas Heart Study, an ongoing research project that is evaluating risk factors for heart disease in a large multiethnic urban population of people whose median age is 45.

The part of the Dallas Heart Study the researchers focused on was a group of 2,744 people who were scanned for signs of plaque in the arteries and in the artery near the heart (aorta), both well known early signs of cardiovascular disease.

The participants were scanned using electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) which shows up any calcium deposits in the arteries of the body. Calcium deposits in arteries are an early indicator of atherosclerosis, where the arteries become hardened and years later may lead to heart attack. The participants also had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to look for atherosclerosis in the walls of the aorta, the major artery of the heart.

The scientists used three gender-specific measures of obesity: BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) and assessed their association with coronary artery calcium (CAC), which is derived from the EBCT scan. They also assessed the level of aortic plaque from the MRI scan.

When they looked at the association between the various obesity measures and the signs of arterial disease, the scientists found that WHR was independently linked to increased arterial plaque whereas no independent positive association was found for BMI or WC.
More specifically, using univariate and multivariate analysis the results showed that:

• CAC prevalence was significantly greater only in the top fifth of BMI compared with the bottom fifth (fifth versus first quintile).
• Whereas CAC prevalence increased stepwise with each fifth of WHR and WC from the bottom to the top (level of significance, p was less than 0.001 in each case).
• People in the top fifth of WHR (the largest) were nearly twice as likely to have calcium deposits compared with those in the bottom fifth (the smallest) WHR.
• After adjusting for standard risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, age, smoking and high cholesterol, only WHR was independently correlated with CAC prevalence (odds ratio 1.91 comparing top quintile with bottom), whereas no such association was present for BMI or WC.
• Similar results were found for aortic plaque, with people in the top fifth of WHR (the largest) being three times more likely to have it compared to those in the bottom fifth (the smallest).
• Using a statistical test called the c-statistic the results showed that WHR was more strongly linked to CAC prevalence than BMI and WC in men and women (p for WHR was less than 0.001 versus BMI and less than 0.01 versus WC).

The researchers concluded that:

"We discovered that WHR was independently associated with prevalent atherosclerosis and provided better discrimination than either BMI or WC."

"The associations between obesity measurements and atherosclerosis mirror those observed between obesity and cardiovascular mortality, suggesting that obesity contributes to cardiovascular mortality via increased atherosclerotic burden."

Commenting on their findings, de Lemos said:

"Middle-aged spread is not healthy, we don't have to clean our plates. It's better to throw food out than add it to our waists."

In a press release from the American College of Cardiology, Dr Raimund Erbel, from the West German Heart Center in Essen said that:

"Using the waist-to-hip measurement to gauge cardiovascular risk has certain clinical advantages."

"The WHR can be easily measured, taking only a few moments and giving more precise information on the presence of coronary artery calcium than BMI or waist circumference," added Erbel.

"In addition, although BMI is used more often, it does not identify patients with central obesity, which seems to be related to the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and abnormal cholesterol levels. However, most important is that other measures of obesity did not discriminate beyond traditional risk factors, whereas WHR did," he explained.

Essen said he found the findings "astonishing" and perhaps they were reflected the age distribution of the participants. He suggested that:

"During life, the likelihood of coronary artery calcium increases more in men than in women. It may be that in an older population, in which the duration of risk factor exposure is longer and the likelihood of coronary artery calcium is higher, the association between obesity, as measured by BMI and waist circumference, and signs of early atherosclerosis is stronger."

"The Association of Differing Measures of Overweight and Obesity With Prevalent Atherosclerosis: The Dallas Heart Study."

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High BMI linked to severe liver disease in later life

A recent study provides more evidence of a link between high body mass index as a young man and severe liver disease in later life. The authors call for earlier interventions and additional screening for those at risk.

The relationship between obesity and liver disease is investigated in a recent large-scale study.

Obesity rates are increasing on a global basis. A predicted 1 billion people will be classed as obese by 2030 (defined as a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 kilograms per square meter).

Already, in some American states, more than 35 percent of the population are obese.

As is well documented, obesity comes with a range of negative health consequences, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, and osteoarthritis.

Over recent years, links between obesity in youth and liver disease later in life have also become clear. These liver diseases include chronic viral hepatitis B and C, as well as non-alcoholic liver disease.

Links between liver disease and BMI

Earlier studies have demonstrated that a high BMI in adolescent men is associated with an increased risk of death from, or hospitalization for, end-stage liver disease later in life. Even when variables such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and the use of narcotics were taken into account, the relationship was still significant. However, to date, this link between BMI and liver disease has not been examined in sufficient depth.

A group of Swedish researchers set out to plug this gap. Led by Dr. Hannes Hagström, of the Centre for Digestive Diseases at the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, they delved into data from 1.2 million Swedish men who were conscripted into the army from 1969 to 1996.

They also used information from population-based registers charting liver cancer, severe liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. The participants were followed from 1 year after conscription, up until the end of 2012. Their findings are published this week in the journal Gut.

In all, the researchers collated and analyzed an impressive 34 million person-years. Across these huge swathes of data, there were 5,281 cases of severe liver disease, which included 251 cases of liver cancer.

50 percent increase in risk of liver disease

The investigators accounted for factors such as smoking and alcohol intake, but men who received a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease during follow-up were removed from the data. Once these controls were in place, the findings were still significant.

The analysis showed that overweight men were almost 50 percent more likely to develop liver disease in later life than men of a normal weight. Similarly, obese men were more than twice as likely to develop liver disease further down the line.

This effect was even more pronounced for men who also developed type 2 diabetes. Participants with both obesity and type 2 diabetes were more than three times more likely to develop liver problems as they aged, compared with normal-weight men without type 2 diabetes.

The authors say of the results:

"This could have implications for public health decision-making, strengthening the need of targeted intervention against overweight and obesity at an early age and specifically highlights the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for liver disease."

Because this study was observational, conclusions regarding cause and effect can not be drawn. However, because the study was conducted on such a large scale, the findings should be taken very seriously. The authors conclude with a call to improve earlier interventions in people most at risk of liver conditions:

"Screening of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus for presence of manifest liver disease using noninvasive, inexpensive scoring systems could be a way forward."

Similarly, they call for weight issues to be tackled from an early age to prevent these types of problems from arising. They write: "Interventions to reduce the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity should be implemented from an early age to reduce the future burden of severe liver disease on individuals and society."

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Small cell lung cancer: Symptoms, treatment, and outlook

Small cell lung cancer is characterized by the presence of cancerous tumor cells in the lung tissues.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 10-15 percent of all lung cancer cases and typically involves fast-growing, aggressive tumors. Smoking is the most common risk factor associated with SCLC.

There are two major forms of lung cancer: SCLC and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is far more common and carries a better outlook than SCLC.

Cancer cells associated with SCLC tend to be smaller and tumors progress relatively rapidly, making early detection and diagnosis challenging.

Contents of this article:

1. Causes and risk factors
2. Symptoms
3. Diagnosis
4. Treatments and outlook

Causes and risk factors

Lung cancer may be caused by a variety of different factors, but tobacco or smoke exposure remains the leading cause.

A variety of factors influence the chances of developing lung cancer, but tobacco or smoke exposure is the leading cause of SCLC cases. In the United States, smoking is responsible for 83 percent of male lung cancer deaths and 76 percent of female deaths each year.

Most people who develop SCLC have a history of smoking or have been exposed to secondhand smoke, but not all. Some people with no history of smoking or smoke exposure will still develop lung cancer.

When cigarette smoke is inhaled, tiny particles damage lung tissues.

Anytime a cell must repair itself or regrow, there is a chance for things to go wrong. If certain mutations occur, a cell can become cancerous. With repeated smoke exposure and damage, the chances of a cancerous lung cell developing increase dramatically.

Age is a major risk factor for developing lung cancer. Roughly 98 percent of those diagnosed with lung cancer are over the age of 45. Roughly two-thirds of people who develop lung cancer are 65 or older.

Causes and risk factors for SCLC include:

• smoking
• exposure to tobacco smoke
• exposure to radiation
• CT scans
• exposure to asbestos, tar, or soot
• exposure to diesel fuel
• exposure to nickel or beryllium
• living in areas with heavily polluted air
• arsenic exposure from drinking water
• HIV status
• beta carotene supplements combined with heavy smoking

Research is still underway to better understand the influence of gender, ethnicity, and race on lung cancer.

While black American men and women are more likely than white Americans to develop lung cancer, fewer develop SCLC. Rates for the latter are 15 percent less for men and 30 percent less for women.

Symptoms

Often symptoms do not begin until the tumor has spread. Many lung cancer symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for those of other conditions.

The location, size, and extent of the tumor greatly influence the chances of someone experiencing symptoms.

Symptoms of SCLC include:

• hoarseness or rough cough
• changes in cough pattern
• wheezing
• shortness of breath
• fatigue
• headaches
• pneumonia
• long-term chest infections
• chest pain or pain when breathing
• coughing up blood
• loss of appetite
• pain or difficulty swallowing
• swelling in the face or neck veins
• excess fluid in the lungs or lining of the heart
• high-pitched sound upon inhalation

If any of the above symptoms become long-term or troublesome, a person should see their doctor. People over 55, or with a history of heavy smoking or smoke exposure, should be monitored even if they are not experiencing symptoms.

Diagnosis

After an initial examination by a healthcare professional, a CT scan may be required to determine the stage of SCLC.

A doctor will first complete a physical examination, review the person's history, and take blood, urine, or tissue samples, if required. A chest X-ray may also be taken.

Doctors may decide to continue monitoring people whose symptoms, personal history, or test results are cause for concern.

Depending on the results of this initial workup, a CT scan can be used to examine the chest, torso, and brain. A sputum cytology test, where phlegm and mucus are inspected under a microscope, can help spot cancerous cells.

A biopsy, where cells are removed from the lungs to be examined by pathologists, may also be performed. Lung biopsies are divided into surgical and nonsurgical options.

The most commonly used and least invasive form of biopsy is fine needle aspiration, a nonsurgical option where general anesthesia is used.

Once a cancer diagnosis has been made, the stage of the cancer must be established to determine the best treatment plan.

Tests used to determine SCLC stage include:

• CT scan of upper body and pelvis
• bone scan
• bone marrow aspiration
• PET scans
• MRI of brain
• further biopsy

Many of these procedures and tests are also used to determine if treatments are working and to monitor cases long-term.

Stages of SCLC

There are generally four recognized stages of lung cancer, ranging from 1 to 4.

• Stage 1 cancers are confined to the lung. Tumors are typically 2 inches or less in diameter.
• Stage 2 cancers involve tumors that have exceeded 2 inches in diameter or have spread to surrounding tissues. The lymph nodes may be involved.
• Stage 3 cancers are defined by large tumors that have spread to other organs neighboring the lungs or smaller tumors in lymph nodes further away from the lungs.
• Stage 4 cancers involve tumors that have spread far beyond the lungs to affect more distant regions of the body.

In SCLC cases, additional stages defined as "limited" and "extensive" are used to describe whether the cancer is present in one or both lungs.

Limited stage cancer

In the limited stage, SCLC tumors are restricted to one lung and any affected lymph nodes will be on the same side of the chest. Because limited cases of SCLC can be targeted within a single radiation field, they are often treated with both radiation and chemotherapy.

About one in three SCLC cases are in the limited stage when first diagnosed.

Extensive stage cancer

In the extensive stage, both lungs are affected, as are other parts of the chest and sometimes body. An SCLC case may also be considered in the extensive stage when the cancer has spread to the fluid surrounding the lungs.

About two in three SCLC cases are in the extensive stage when diagnosed.

Treatments and outlook

SCLC may be treated with a combination of treatments including radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy.

Because SCLC cases are often diagnosed late in the course of the disease, aggressive treatment plans are often used.

When possible, SCLC is treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Different specialists will work together to find the best course of action for each case.

A range of medications will be prescribed to help manage the symptoms. Nursing care may also be ordered.

Chemotherapy given orally or intravenously, alongside radiation therapy, is the preferred treatment for SCLC because of how quickly the tumors grow and spread. Fortunately, most SCLC cases respond well to radiation therapy, at least initially.

In limited stage SCLC cases, radiation therapy may also be used after 3-4 months of initial chemotherapy.

Common surgery options include:

• segmental, wedge, or sleeve resection to remove the affected part of lung
• lobectomy to remove one lung lobe
• bilobectomy to remove two lung lobes
• pneumonectomy to remove the whole lung
• lymph node removal

The cancer stage, the person's gender, age, family history, lifestyle habits, and general health will influence the chances of recovery for a person with SCLC.

The outlook for SCLC varies according to the individual and the stage of the cancer, but the average 5-year survival rate is 7 percent.

For SCLC cases in the limited stage, the relative 5-year survival rate is 31 percent. For SCLC cancers in the extensive stage, the relative survival rate varies from 8-19 percent. Stage 4 SCLC cancers have a 5-year survival rate of 2 percent.

It is important for people to keep in mind that each SCLC case is unique while statistics are averages. While they should be used with caution, lung cancer staging calculators exist.

Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies are those used alongside conventional medical therapies and may help manage SCLC symptoms.

Complementary therapies and lifestyle recommendations include:

• nutritional supplements
• massage
• Reiki
• guided meditation
• yoga
• acupuncture
• avoiding non-essential daily tasks to save energy

Alternative therapies are not meant to replace conventional therapies. Anyone thinking about an alternative treatment should discuss it first with a doctor.

Despite research, there are no treatments available today to cure SCLC outright. Many clinical trialsexist that offer people new options and the number of such trials continues to grow.

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HOW TO SURVIVE HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU ARE ALONE.

A very important subject.
Please note, the topic is very necessary especially that you may be in the desert, for example, and there is no chance enough.

To save the lives of many!
Treating chronic stress. If you get when you are alone:

All of a sudden If you started feeling a lot of pain in your chest which had been spreading up to your shoulder and your hand until your mouth and you're on your own, you need to know that the person who doesn't beat his heart regularly and became feel faint, has only ten seconds before To lose all consciousness.

If you are one of the victims of cardiac arrest, you can help yourself by following the steps below.
Cough so hard and often. A deep breath should be taken before each cough. And the cough must be deep and long and repeated every two seconds. At least without stopping or surrender until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be back to normal pulse.

Through deep breathing oxygen enters the lungs cough either movement is putting pressure on the heart and circulatory movement. Pressure on the heart of the cough. Bring back the natural beat of the heart also.

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Higher Blood Pressure Risk In Teenagers Linked To Poor Or Insufficient Sleep

US research reveals that teenagers who don't sleep enough or have poor quality sleep may be at higher risk of elevated blood pressure that could lead to cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The study is the first to examine links between high blood pressure and sleep quality in healthy adolescents.

The research appears as a paper published online before print on 18th August in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). It was written by senior author Dr Susan Redline, professor of medicine and pediatrics and director of University Hospitals Sleep Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and colleagues. 

Redline and her team carried out a cross-sectional analysis of 238 healthy 13 to 16 year olds (123 boys and 115 girls) who had not been diagnosed with sleep apnea (where breathing stops while you are asleep) or other severe problems.

They found that shorter time spent asleep, but poor sleep quality in particular, were linked to higher risk of elevated blood pressure, and that "technology" in bedrooms, such as music players, phones and computers, may be part of the problem.

For the study, there were two measuring periods, at home and in the lab. At home, the participants wore movement detectors on their wrists for five to seven days to monitor their sleep patterns. They also completed a sleep log to give estimates of sleep patterns.

In the lab, the researchers measured the participants' sleep quality during overnight sleep, for instance using a polysomnograph machine that monitors brain function, eye and body movement and breathing. They also took 9 blood pressure readings.

Upon analysing the results Redline and colleagues found that:

• The odds of elevated blood pressure increased 3.5 times for those teenagers with low sleep efficiency and 2.5 times for those who slept less than 6.5 hours.


• These figures were unaffected by gender, body mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic status.


• Teenagers who had trouble falling asleep at night and waking up in the morning (low sleep efficiency), had an average 4 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) higher systolic blood pressure compared to teenagers without these problems (higher sleep efficiency).


• 14 per cent of the teenagers had pre-hypertension or hypertension with blood pressures in the 90th percentile (among the top ten per cent in the country) for their height, age and gender.


• 26 per cent of the participants had low sleep efficiency and 11 per cent slept for less than 6.5 hours (extremely short sleep).


• Nearly two thirds of the teenagers with short sleep duration also had low sleep efficiency.


• 27.9 per cent of the teenagers with low sleep efficiency also had short sleep duration.


• Participants with less than 85 per cent sleep efficiency in the lab phase had nearly three times the odds of having elevated blood pressure.

Redline and colleagues concluded that:

"Poor sleep quality is associated with prehypertension in healthy adolescents."

They said the link is not explained by "socioeconomic status, obesity, sleep apnea, or known comorbidities, suggesting that inadequate sleep quality is associated with elevated blood pressure".

Redline suggested part of the problem was the "technological invasion of the bedroom with computers, cell phones and music". Sending text messages or listening to music all night, with early rising for school, compresses the time left for sleep. 

"Adolescents need nine hours of sleep. Parents should optimize sleep quality for their family with regular sleep and wake times and bedrooms should be kept quiet, dark and conducive to sleep," said Redline.

The researchers said further studies were needed to find out if preventing high blood pressure in children should consider not only ways of losing weight and doing more exercise, but also how to sleep better.

"Meanwhile, pediatricians should view sleep quality and patterns as an intervenable health concern," said Redline.

"Our data underscores the need to monitor quality and quantity of sleep as part of a child's overall health strategy," she added.

"Sleep Quality and Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescents."

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Insufficient sleep may raise nighttime blood pressure

Having prolonged periods of insufficient sleep is linked to significant increases in blood pressure during nighttime hours.

Insufficient sleep is linked to occupational errors.

This was the finding of a small study from Mayo Clinic that was presented at the 64th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in San Diego on Sunday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic in the US.

Insufficient sleep is linked to motor vehicle accidents, industrial disasters and medical and other occupational errors.

People who do not get enough sleep are also at higher risk for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and depression, as well as cancer, premature death and reduced quality of life and productivity.

For their study, the Mayo team enrolled eight healthy people of normal weight, aged from 19 to 36, in a 16-day inpatient trial.

The first 4 days was an acclimatization period. Then followed 9 days of either sleep restriction (4 hours of sleep a night) or normal sleep (9 hours a night), and 3 days of recovery.

The participants' blood pressure was monitored regularly over the study period.

The results showed that in the nighttime, the average blood pressure readings in the sleep restriction phase compared with the normal sleep phase were 115/64 mm/Hg versus 105/57 mm/Hg.

Normally, one expects blood pressure to fall during the night, but the researchers found this was not the case during the restricted sleep period.

The researchers also found that nighttime heart rate was higher during the sleep restriction phase than the normal sleep phase.

Lead author of the new study Dr. Naima Covassin, a research fellow in Mayo's Department of Cardiovascular Diseases in Rochester, MN, says:

"We know high blood pressure, particularly during the night, is one of the major risk factors for heart disease, and Americans typically do not get enough sleep.

For the first time, we demonstrated that insufficient sleep causes increases in nighttime blood pressure and dampens nocturnal blood pressure dipping by using a controlled study that mimics the sleep loss experienced by many people."

The results are part of an ongoing Mayo Clinic study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Tips for getting a good night's sleep

The National Sleep Foundation suggest a number of things you can do to make your bedroom sleep-friendly:

• Dim the lights about an hour before bed to signal to your body that sleep time is approaching
• Make your bedroom peaceful and relaxing by decorating it lovingly and keeping it clutter-free
• Keep your bedroom cool for sleep - 60-67 °F (16-19°C) is ideal
• Choose mattresses and pillows that are comfortable for you
• Keep noise to a minimum - a fan or noise conditioner can help by giving a soothing consistent backdrop
• Surround yourself with soothing scents - they can improve mood before bedtime
• Turn off electronics while sleeping - light receptors in the retina signal to the brain about the status of the outside world and may affect sleep-wake rhythms.

Other habits for promoting good sleep include going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning, plus avoiding large meals, caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime, and avoiding nicotine.

Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently learned of a study that found sleep apnea is linked to a significantly higher risk of motor vehicle accidents. However, the researchers from Sweden also found that the risk reduces with effective continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP).

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